The hotel and hotel apartments in Qatar witnessed a robust performance with the overall occupancy rate being at 56 percent in February 2022. The hotels of all categories, ranging from five star to two and one star, have seen rise in occupancy rates and revenue per available room, according to the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) data.
The two and one star hotels registered the highest occupancy rate in February 2022 due to gradual easing of COVID-19 restrictions leading to the rise in hotel visitors and guests. The occupancy rate of two and one star hotels surged to 97 percent in February from 78 percent in the same period last year.
According to the report, the three star hotels occupancy rate rose to 96 percent in February 2022 from 82 percent in the same period in 2021. Similarly, the occupancy rate of four star hotels has jumped to 66 percent in February 2022. In case of five star, the hotels’ occupancy rates stood at 49 percent in the review period.
The occupancy rates of deluxe hotel apartments and standard hotel apartments for February this year were 53 percent and 83 percent respectively.
Hotels in Qatar have also witnessed a rise in revenue per available room which is used to assess a hotel’s ability to fill its available rooms at an average rate. It is important because it helps hotel industry measure the overall success of their hotel. Revenue per available room for five star hotels increased to QR280 in February 2022 while it rose to QR167 in four star hotels; QR197 in three star; and QR187 in two and one star hotels.
The average room rate for deluxe and standard hotel apartments rose to QR371 and QR235 respectively in February this year compared to QR300 and QR179 in the same period in 2021. While the average room rate for five star hotel showed an increase of QR569 and incase of four star hotel it rose to QR255. The overall hotel and hotel apartment average room rate was QR420 in February 2022 against QR378 in last year.
The hospitality sector has remained resilient last year. An estimated 1,980 room keys from eight hospitality properties were added during last year. Steigenberger Hotel Doha (with 206 rooms) and Zulal Wellness Resort (with 180 rooms) were unveiled during the last quarter of 2021. Qatar is expected to be the leading contributor in the hospitality sector with a pipeline of 15,800 hotel keys by 2023.
Qatar is witnessing a strong recovery in the hospitality industry helped by initiatives taken by the government with easing precautionary measures taken to limit the pandemic. The booster doses have been administered in the country and are picking up pace.
